


Chosen Family

by JasmineRey



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Families of Choice, Family, Family Feels, Gen, Leia Organa Lives, Luke Skywalker Lives, Post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Rey Skywalker, Space Mom Leia Organa
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:47:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 21,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23051215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JasmineRey/pseuds/JasmineRey
Summary: AU in which Luke and Leia aren't dead and, after deciding to take on the Skywalker name, Rey lives with them.
Relationships: Leia Organa & Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa & Rey, Leia Organa & Rey & Luke Skywalker, Poe Dameron & Finn & Rey, Rey & Luke Skywalker
Comments: 39
Kudos: 62





	1. A New Home

**Author's Note:**

> Just thought I'd add a bit of information on the concept of this fic and what it will be focusing on going forward. As wonderful as the ending to The Rise of Skywalker is (because I do truly love it), I couldn't help but wonder what life would be like for Rey if she actually got to live with Luke and Leia, rather than just having them with her in spirit. Basically, this fic is going to focus on that. Each short chapter will show a snippet of how I imagine that life could be for Rey.

"Can't say I ever thought I'd see this old place again," Luke remarked as he placed the bowls and plates of food onto the kitchen table for breakfast and took a seat across from Leia. He paused for a moment and once again studied the small space with a look of bittersweet fondness in his eyes. Rey could sense the joy of pleasant memories in him, but also an ache of great loss. "Once we get the farm up and running again, it will really feel like old times," he added, before Rey could say anything. "I can teach you both all about moisture farming."

"Sounds thrilling," Leia remarked, rather unenthusiastically.

Luke rolled his eyes. "Well, we can't all have been raised as royalty."

"Oh you know I was only teasing you."

Rey could not help but smile at their lighthearted bickering. She had helped tidy up the long-abandoned homestead yesterday and spent her first night in her new bedroom, but it did not really feel like home to her yet. It felt like she was living in someone else's home, almost as if she was living someone else's life entirely. _But this is my life now_ , Rey told herself. _This is the life I've chosen, and the family I've chosen._

When Luke and Leia had first approached her about living at the homestead with them, she had not known what to say. The very thought of the offer warmed her heart and brought tears to her eyes, and after accepting the offer, she'd felt a little less strange about her own request...

She'd never had a family name, or at least not one she'd known or used. Discovering her true family name had only left her more conflicted about her own identity. The name Palpatine felt like a curse, a dark stain that threatened to taint the rest of her existence. She refused to accept the name, just as her parents had refused to give it to her.

But she wanted a family name. Something inside of her still ached with the desire to belong, to feel connected to something, or someone. There was only one name that truly felt right to her, a name connected to the people she had come to love, a name that represented hope, light, and a second chance. Thankfully, Luke and Leia shared her feelings on the matter.

"Of course you can bear the Skywalker name," Luke had said to her with a beaming smile. "I would be proud to have it continue on with you."

_Rey Skywalker_.

Her new name.

Her new family.

oOo

"Vaporators need a bit of tinkering with," Luke mumbled as he inspected the tall white structure. "Nothing we can't handle ourselves though, especially with that droid of yours to give us a hand." He glanced down at BB-8, who bleeped merrily in response.

As they set to work on the vaporators, Rey quickly became acquainted with the intense, scorching heat of Tatooine's two suns. Although she had grown up in a hot, dry desert, Jakku only had one sun. Sweat seeped from her pores and her clothes began to cling to her slick, damp skin.

However, once the day of hard work was over, Rey was reminded of the beauty of the two suns. She watched as the blue sky faded to a hazy mixture of pink and orange, and the two burning spheres descended together. One shone white and bright, while the other glowed a brilliant red. As the suns inched closer to the horizon of the extensive desert, the world slowly began to darken.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Luke commented in a low tone, his gaze also fixated on the evening horizon. "I once thought that if there was a bright centre of the universe, this place was the farthest from it. Now, I appreciate the beauty of it a little more."

"You must have a lot of fond memories from here," Rey said.

Luke nodded, but more solemnly than she had expected. "Of course I do," he answered. "But not all of the memories are fond." He paused for a moment. "I came home one day to find my aunt and uncle had been killed by stormtroopers. The stormtroopers, they'd been after the plans for the Death Star, which R2-D2 was carrying. They must've traced him here, interrogated my aunt and uncle, then killed them."

"That's awful," Rey sympathised, not knowing what else to say. She had sensed Luke had suffered a great tragedy here, but she could not have imagined the horrifying details.

"After that, I decided to leave Tatooine with Obi-wan Kenobi, an old Jedi. He was a friend of my father's and he'd agreed to train me in the ways of the Force. So, we traveled to Mos Eisley to find a pilot. That's where I first met Han Solo."

Rey's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"It's true."

"Wow."

Luke chuckled slightly at her excitement. "Do you want to know the rest of the story?" he asked her.

Rey's eyes widened. "Will you tell me?"

Luke smiled. "You're one of us now," he told her. "I think it's time you learnt a bit about your family history. Why don't we start with the story of how Han and I rescued Princess Leia."

"Don't let him tell you that story!" Rey turned to see Leia emerging from the house. "He's going to tell it all wrong."

"Why don't you come tell her the story of your time with Jabba the Hutt instead?" Luke called to her as she made her way over to join them.

Leia shot him a withering glare. "How about instead I tell her about your experience on Hoth?"

The usual affectionate bickering ensued, but this time Rey's mind was focused elsewhere. Luke's words echoed softly in her mind, as if they were being carefully etched into her brain. _You're one of us now_. Her heart swelled with joy and she smiled ecstatically.

She was a Skywalker.


	2. Nightmares

_She stood alone in a dark, shadowy hallway. The chilled air prompted goosebumps to prickle on her skin. Suddenly, she caught sight of two figures standing at the end of the hall, their arms outstretched towards her._

_"Rey," they called._

_Upon hearing the familiar voices, she gasped. Her parents! A lump rose in her throat and she felt a tugging from deep in her chest. Frantically, she rushed towards them. Her heart thumped harder and faster with each bounding step she took. She stretched out her arms, ready to embrace them with all her strength and never let them go._

_Her arms grasped at thin air._

_They were gone._

_"No!" she cried out and crumpled to the floor. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she sobbed, her heart aching. She felt as if she was a small child again, left on Jakku, watching her parents fly away, begging and pleading for them to come back, shouting and sobbing until her throat ached._

_Eventually, she mustered the strength to pick herself up off the floor, but when she did, the entire hallway was blanketed in darkness, so dark she could not see anything at all._

_A chilling, evil laugh erupted into the air, echoing in the nothingness that surrounded her. The sound sent a wave of fear crashing violently into her mind. She closed her eyes and shook her head._

_"No, no, no, please, no, no!"_

_When she opened her eyes, her surroundings had changed._

_Rocky walls. Hooded figures. A dark, sinister throne, beckoning her to take her place upon it._

_The body of Ben Solo, lying twisted and lifeless on the ground._

_She sunk to her knees beside it, sobbing, but without warning she was torn away and pushed aggressively onto the throne. She tried to stand, but a strong force held her there._

_"It is your destiny," a menacing voice groaned. Emperor Palpatine's grotesque, deformed face appeared before her. She struggled desperately against his grasp. "You may have renounced your true name and family, Rey, but you cannot escape the potential for darkness that lurks inside of you. You cannot get rid of it. It will always be a part of you. It is in your blood."_

_His wicked, horrifying laugh grew louder and louder until it was an overwhelming and deafening roar in her ears. She screamed and sobbed and begged._

_"Please, let me go! I don't want this! Please, just leave me alone!"_

"Rey!"

A voice, clear and pure, cut through the terrifying commotion and snapped Rey back to reality. Her eyes shot open and, slowly, she became aware of her surroundings. She was in her bedroom, at the homestead on Tatooine. She was home. Leia sat on the edge of her bed, her brow creased in an expression of deep concern. Rey's cheeks grew hot with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled as she sat up, her voice trembling slightly. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"I'm glad you did," Leia said calmly. "I would hate for you to be dealing with this alone."

A lump rose in Rey's throat and tears stung her eyes. She did not dare try to speak, knowing for sure that if she did, she would cry and cry and maybe never stop. Her hands trembled uncontrollably, no matter how hard she focused on settling them. Her heart pounded hard and fast, and it felt as if her throat was tightening with every breath she took. Images from her nightmare flashed into her mind repeatedly. Panic bubbled up inside of her, threatening to erupt at any moment. She tried to calm herself, to refocus her mind, to breathe, but she was powerless to stop the wave of panic.

"Rey," Leia said softly, and the barriers Rey had attempted to build to hold back her panic collapsed in an instant, releasing the wave. She threw her arms around Leia and sobbed, burying her face in the older woman's shoulder. Her whole body convulsed as the panic tore through her.

"It's alright," Leia reassured her, holding her close and gently stroking her hair. "You're safe now. It's alright."

"I can't get him out of my head," Rey cried, tears flooding down her cheeks and onto Leia's shoulder.

"I know," Leia said in a gentle, understanding tone. "But Palpatine is dead, Rey. This time he is dead for good. He will never return."

Rey pulled herself away from the embrace. She looked at Leia with terrified, pain-filled eyes. "But what if I become just like him?"

Leia took Rey's hands in hers. "Now, we both know that's not going to happen. You're nothing like that wretched old man. It's up to you to decide who you are and who you want to be. Your parents wanted you to have that choice. Nobody gets to decide who you are except you. Do you understand?"

Rey wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I understand," she replied. "I just wish I could stop seeing him, and that place, and..." She paused, fearing her next words would cause Leia pain.

"Not a day goes by where I don't think of Ben, and Han," Leia told her. "It makes my heart ache, but we cannot change the past. We can only hold onto the pleasant memories we have of them, and we can focus on the blessings we have in our lives right now. I may have lost my husband and son, but I still have my brother, and I have you."

Rey nodded. "Thank you, Leia. I am truly sorry for waking you."

Leia smiled and shook her head. "No need to be sorry," she told her. "I am always here when you need me. That's what family is for."


	3. Blue Milk

"I've got a bad feeling about this."

"Trust me. You'll like it."

Rey studied the glass of liquid Luke had set down on the kitchen table in front of her. He insisted it was a choice beverage on Tatooine, and a childhood favourite of his. The liquid was thicker and creamier than water. Clusters of small bubbles rested on its surface.

Rey knew what milk was. There were creatures on Jakku that produced milk, though she had never tried it. She had never been able to purchase or trade for any, nor had she ever really desired to. Working in the blazing sun in a hot desert all day every day, water was the only drink she had ever craved. At the Resistance base, she had witnessed some Resistance fighters drink milk during meal times. Though she could have tried it then, she simply never bothered to.

Then there had been that creature on Ahch-To that produced green milk. That had been the first time she had seen such an odd coloured milk, and definitely the first time she had witnessed someone _drink_ such an odd coloured beverage.

The milk sitting on the table in front of her was different yet again. The strange, creamy liquid was a light shade of blue.

"Come on, just give it a try," Luke urged, his eyes wide with amusement at her uncertainty over trying the beverage.

Picking up the glass, Rey peered into it one more time. "Oh well," she sighed. "Here goes nothing." She tilted the cup to her lips and, hesitantly, sipped a small amount of the milk. To her surprise, it didn't taste bad at all. In fact, it tasted good. Really good. It had a slightly sweet taste and felt smooth and rich in her mouth. She held the cup to her lips again and drank the remaining liquid without hesitation.

"So?" Luke asked eagerly. "What do you think?"

Rey could tell he was pleased with her response by the joyful look on his face when she said, "I love it."


	4. A Visit From Friends

"Finn! Poe!" Rey shouted ecstatically as she burst outside to greet her friends. She raced towards them, unable to contain her excitement, and threw her arms around both of them in a tight embrace.

"It's so good to see you, Rey," said Finn, when the three of them eventually broke apart. "We've missed you."

"Yeah," Poe agreed, but his attention was quickly stolen away by a familiar, delighted bleeping. "BB-8!" he called out excitedly as the ball-shaped astromech droid rolled out to greet them. He kneeled down in the sand, bringing himself to the droid's level. "I've missed you so much, buddy."

"He's going to be happy to get that droid back for a while," Finn said to Rey in a mock whisper. "Sometimes I think he cares more about BB-8 than he does about us."

"That's not true," Poe insisted, getting to his feet. He pulled Rey into another warm hug. "I missed you just as much, Rey."

A huge smile spread across Rey's face. With two of her best friends in the galaxy by her side once again, there was no way she could contain the joy that swelled inside of her.

oOo

"It's exhausting work, but it's rewarding, and enjoyable," Poe explained. They all sat around the kitchen table enjoying the lunch that Luke and Leia had prepared. "And it's not just former members of the Resistance. Volunteers from all over the galaxy are helping out, rebuilding communities ravaged by the war, reuniting people who have been separated from their families, and just keeping an eye on things to make sure peace is maintained and no one is out trying to cause any trouble. Of course, we couldn't do it without your oversight, Leia."

"I may keep in contact with you and offer my advice and guidance, but it is you who are doing all the hard work," said Leia earnestly. "And I must say, I am proud of you both."

"We're just doing what we can," Finn said with a smile.

"If you ever want to join us, Rey, we'd love to have you come along with us," said Poe, looking at her across the table. "Finn and I both agree you would love some of the places we've visited. It would be a lot of fun with the three of us."

Part of Rey immediately wanted to say yes. She'd missed her friends dearly, and the thought of embarking on an adventure with them was thrilling, especially since this adventure would not involve fighting and battles and being hunted down by the First Order. Plus, she felt as though she should be doing more to help out, no matter how many times Luke and Leia assured her she had done more than enough by helping bring the war to its conclusion.

But another part of her did not want to leave the safe haven she now had. Living at the homestead on Tatooine, she felt removed from the aftermath of the war. Sometimes, she could close her eyes and imagine that this was always her life, no war, no battles, no death and destruction. Just a simple life with a family that loved her and cared about her deeply. Part of her worried that if she left, she may lose what she'd found. A family, a home, a peaceful life. She worried that if she looked away for even a moment, it might all disappear before her eyes. Her body tensed at the thought of it.

"I think it's best if Rey stays here for the moment," said Leia. She glanced across the table at Rey, offering a look of understanding. No doubt she had sensed her growing anxiety. "The galaxy will still be there when she decides she wants to see more of it."

Rey nodded in agreement. "I think..." She paused. Though she trusted Finn and Poe, she hesitated to share everything that was going on in her mind. She barely had a grasp on it herself. Her identity, the nightmares, the need to feel safe and secure, the need to hold on to the safety and security she now had... "I think I just need more time."

Poe nodded, and Finn gently placed his hand on hers. They understood.

oOo

Rey watched as the twin suns emerged from the horizon and began rising, their golden light permeating the grey-blue sky and spreading a warm glow to the sandy world below. After another nightmare, she had ventured outside to clear her head.

She instantly became aware of Finn's footsteps as he approached and moved to stand beside her. To Rey's surprise, he did not say a word. He simply stood with her in silence, as a comforting presence, his eyes fixed on the two rising suns.

oOo

"Okay, you can do this. You can do this."

"I know I can. I've done this exercise plenty of times."

"I was talking to myself."

"Oh, sorry."

Like Finn, Rey was doing a handstand, with her right leg slightly lowered to the side and her left arm reaching out as they both worked together to lift and stack flat desert rocks using the Force. With her hand pressed against the hardened sand and her mind deeply focused, she felt connected to the Force. It surrounded her. It flowed through her.

"Less talking, more lifting," Luke instructed. Both he and Leia had decided it would be worthwhile for Finn to undertake some training while he visited. They stood watching as Rey and Finn carefully stacked the rocks on top of each other, placing each one as gently as possible, so as to not send the tower tumbling. Poe watched from a further distance at the top of a small rocky sand hill, with BB-8 close by his side.

"Now Finn," said Luke. "I want you to lift that larger rock over there and bring it over here." He pointed at a larger, flat desert rock nearby. "And Rey, I want you to lift the stack of rocks and place it on top.

Finn's eyes widened at the sight of the small boulder. He reached out in the direction of the rock and tried to lift it. It hovered slightly above the ground for only a moment before dropping down.

"I can't lift it," he called out in defeat. "It's too big."

"The size does not matter," insisted Luke, shaking his head.

"I think you're forgetting I'm still new to this whole Force sensitivity thing," Finn retorted, with obvious irritation in his voice.

"You can do this, Finn," Luke assured him. "You must feel the Force around you. Trust in it. Believe in it, and yourself."

Finn took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and reached out his hand towards the rock again. It hovered, then rose higher into the air. Feeling the Force flow through him, he slowly and smoothly pulled the rock closer, then carefully set it down in front of himself and Rey. Once the larger rock was placed, Rey used the Force to move the stack of smaller rocks and set them on top of it.

"Woo!" Finn whooped, kicking down out of his handstand. "I did it! I did it!"

Luke and Leia both smiled and nodded in approval. Rey ran over and hugged him, beaming with pride for her friend. Poe raced down from his spot on the hill to join them, with BB-8 close on his heels.

"Woo! Yes! That's my buddy! Good job, Finn!" he cheered, punching the air and clapping Finn on the back.

"Thanks man!" Finn replied. Then, his eyes widened with an idea. He turned to Luke and Leia. "Hey, why don't Rey and I try lifting Poe now?"

Poe shook his head fervently. "No, no, no. We're not doing that. There's no way we're doing that."

oOo

Once the two suns had set for the evening, a vast shadowy darkness consumed the sky. Tiny beams of light gradually emerged, peering through the dark, and the moons bathed the desert landscape in a soft glow. Rey gazed up at the night sky, calmed by the peace and beauty of it all. She lay on her back on an old blanket she had spread out on the sand. Finn and Poe lay close beside her, both gazing up at the stellar display.

"I'm really going to miss you both when you leave," she said quietly, breaking the tranquil silence between them.

"We'll be back," Poe assured her. "I don't think anything in this galaxy could ever keep us apart forever."

Rey sighed. "I would like to come along with you, someday... just not right now."

Finn turned his head to look her in the eyes. "We understand, Rey." Rey wasn't sure if it was the way he spoke, or the way he smiled afterwards, but she could feel the sincerity of Finn's words, as sincere and true as words could possibly be. Finn and Poe didn't just accept her; they knew her, truly and deeply. Though she didn't share a name or a home with them, they were still family to her, in a way.

"So, I guess that means you're happy here, right?" said Poe, pulling her out of her musing thoughts.

Rey smiled. "Yes, yes I am."

oOo

"Fly safe," Rey said, after embracing both of her friends.

"We will," Finn affirmed.

"Bye BB-8," she said fondly, crouching down to the level of the rolling astromech droid. "I'll see you next time Poe brings you back. You look out for them, alright? Make sure they don't get into too much trouble."

"Trouble, pfft. When have we ever gotten ourselves into trouble?" Poe joked, and BB-8 bleeped in response that, actually, Finn and Poe had been getting themselves into trouble since the moment the pair met.

With a chorus of laughs and heartfelt goodbyes called back and forth, Finn and Poe boarded their ship. Rey watched and waved as their ship rose into the sky. She felt a twinge of uneasiness at the image of a ship flying away, holding people she loved, getting smaller and smaller until it was no longer visible.

 _Poe is right though_ , she reminded herself. _As long as we live, nothing in this galaxy is going to keep us apart forever._


	5. Sick

"Are you okay?"

Luke's voice cut through Rey's daze, snapping her back to alertness. She pulled her hand away the side of the moisture vaporator, which she had apparently grabbed hold of to steady herself.

"I'm fine," she replied with a smile, though her head was swimming, and the burning light of the two suns was causing her eyes to ache in their sockets.

"Are you sure?" Luke enquired further, evidently not convinced. "You do look a bit paler than normal."

"I told you, I'm okay," Rey said, trying to sound a little stronger and firmer this time, though doing so seemed to send pulses of pain shooting through her head. "I'm just a bit tired. That's all."

"Go inside and lie down for a while," Luke told her, in a tone that was both serious and gentle. "I'll finish up out here."

Feeling too drained to argue, Rey did as she was told. She ventured inside, lay on her bed, and closed her eyes. _I'll just rest here for a moment_ , she told herself, but once her eyes were closed, it felt almost impossible to pull them open. So, she accepted defeat and allowed herself to drift off and be consumed by sleep.

When Rey next opened her eyes, everything around her was a spinning blur. Her head pounded painfully and her whole body ached. Concerned voices speaking in hushed tones floated around the room, but she struggled to make out exactly what they were saying. She felt a hand brush gently against her forehead.

"She's burning up," said one of the voices, and the name Leia finally flashed into her jumbled mind. Within moments, she felt someone press a cool, damp cloth against her forehead. The sensation felt relaxing and comforting, and it wasn't long before she gave in to sleep once again.

It was a vicious wave of nausea that later jerked her out of her restless sleep. She shifted, trying to ease the uncomfortable churning in her stomach, but the movement seemed to only make things worse. A horrible choking feeling crept its way up her throat.

"I don't feel well," Rey mumbled, quiet but panicking, not sure if anyone was actually listening. Someone sat her up and placed an empty bucket in her hands. Almost immediately, she vomited and did not stop until there was nothing left for her stomach to force up. A gentle hand rubbed her back in circular motions, and a motherly voice spoke words of comfort. Leia's voice.

"I know it's awful, but it will all be over soon," Leia assured her. "Just rest now."

Rey curled up under the blankets, tears streaming down her cheeks, silently begging for sleep to take her, though it wasn't long before she regretted her begging. Her dreams were unsettling and confusing. They were not the same terrifying reminders of her deepest fears and traumatic memories like her usual nightmares; rather, they were convoluted and disturbing culminations of random images from her life. A raging ocean in the middle of the desert, porgs running Resistance operations, and Unkar Plutt on the throne of the Sith.

Even after Rey opened her eyes, strange images danced in her vision. To her, it seemed that an ocean of stars and swirling lights filled the room, making her feel as if she was floating through space, lost and alone. Part of her knew it could not possibly be real, but it still bothered her.

"I want to go home," she whimpered weakly.

"You are home."

She recognised the voice as Luke's and immediately felt safe.

"Go back to sleep," he ordered, so she did.

Everything continued to happen in a haze. Cool cloths and comforting words were a frequent occurrence. Blankets were put on and taken off repeatedly as her body erratically switched between sweating and convulsive shivering. Every now and then, a glass of water was held to her lips and she was urged to drink. Her throat, raw and swollen, ached every time she swallowed, though the cool water seemed to soothe it slightly. When the refresher became a necessity, she was helped to stand and walk, as her legs simply refused to carry her. They wobbled weakly with every supported step she took, threatening to buckle beneath her at any moment.

It was pain, horrible pain, that eventually cut through the haze and jolted Rey back into some form of reality. It pulsed through her head, violently and rhythmically. It felt like someone was pressing down on her skull and sending electric shocks through her brain at the same time. Her entire body ached, as if every inch of her was bruised and her muscles were on fire. It was unbearable. She sobbed, which only made the pain in her head worse.

"Please, make it stop," she pleaded weakly, tears streaming down her cheeks. She closed her eyes and tried to will herself back to sleep.

Suddenly, she felt a sharp pinch in her arm. She tried to pull away from it, but someone put their hand on her shoulder to hold her still. She opened her eyes and saw Leia sitting on the side of her bed, holding a hypo-syringe. Luke stood nearby looking on, a look of deep concern on his face.

"What did you do to me?" Rey murmured, confused.

"It will help with the pain," Leia told her, stroking her hair gently. "And it will help you sleep."

Gradually, the pain in Rey's head started to dull. The aches in her limbs began to ease too, leaving them feeling numb and heavy. The room began to fade from her vision as everything grew darker and darker. Rey felt herself slipping away from reality once again. Everything was disappearing.

"Come back," she mumbled, feeling panicked, but too weak to really do anything about it.

"We're not going anywhere."

Those words were the reassurance Rey needed, and she decided to let the peaceful blackness take her.

When Rey eventually opened her eyes again, it took a moment for her foggy mind to clear. It somehow felt like she had slept for both an eternity and no time at all. Her eyes scanned the room. Judging by the light, she decided it must be morning. She soon became aware of a strange sound in the room. As she turned her head, she discovered its origin. Luke sat slumped in a chair a few paces away from her bed, snoring noisily. She watched as he twitched slightly, then awoke, his gaze immediately gravitating to her.

"Oh, you're awake," he said, standing up from his chair and moving to sit on the edge of her bed. He placed his hand on her forehead. "No more fever," he commented. "That's a good sign. Leia will be pleased. She's been worried about you. We both have." He ran his hand through his hair. "How are you feeling now?"

"Better," Rey said, her voice still sounding hoarse, though her throat no longer ached. She suddenly became aware of the uncomfortable pang of emptiness in her stomach. "I am a bit hungry though."

Luke smiled. "Not surprised. You haven't eaten in about three days." He rose and made his way over to the door. "I'll go get you something to eat. You just stay in bed and rest."

Something inside of Rey nagged her to get out of bed, despite Luke's insistence that she stay put. She tried to sit up, but quickly discovered she was far too weak. Though her aches and pains had disappeared, her body still felt tender and she barely had enough energy to lift her head. As she lay her head back down against the pillow, the reason behind the urge to forgo extra rest struck her. On Jakku, she never could have rested an extra second more than necessary. Whenever she fell ill on Jakku, she simply suffered. If she could, she would push through a day of scavenging, regretting it by the time evening came. If she felt particularly bad, she would lie in bed in her makeshift home, alone and miserable, wondering whether she may eventually die of dehydration, starvation, or the illness itself. She would long for her parents more than ever, craving someone to care for her and comfort her.

Here, with Luke and Leia, things were different. Here, she was cared for, comforted, and allowed to rest without worry. She thought of that young girl on Jakku, and her eyes filled with grateful tears for life and love she now had.


	6. A Message

"Thank you, Mistress Rey," C-3PO said with delight as he descended into the large tub. "This oil bath will do wonders for my joints."

"You're welcome, Threepio," Rey replied. She was crouched on the garage floor, diligently scrubbing R2-D2. The two droids had been assisting the former Resistance members with their rebuilding efforts across the galaxy. Now, with their assistance no longer required, they had decided to settle for a while on Tatooine and help out on the farm.

"This old garage is almost exactly as I remember it," commented C-3PO. Rey glanced up from her work and casually scanned her surroundings. The garage was quite cluttered. Various tools and loose wires littered the work bench, and some pieces of scrap metal and a few off machine parts sat abandoned against the walls of the circular room. Anyone else might have viewed the paraphernalia as a heap of old junk, but Rey knew that everything in the room could be of value or use, either for fixing or trading. Other items, like the model ship she had discovered one day while rummaging through the bits and pieces, no doubt held some sort of sentimental value. Though some of the items in the garage were new, purchased since their recent arrival on Tatooine to assist with installing and maintaining the new farm equipment and household appliances, Rey knew a lot were probably decades old, left untouched since Luke departed from Tatooine all those years ago.

Rey knew the story of how Luke had first encountered C-3PO and R2-D2. It was one of the many tales of the past he had shared with her. Earlier, C-3PO had started to recount the story to her again himself, in more tedious detail than necessary. Rey's suggestion of an oil bath had been an attempt to cut the story short. It had worked, but the garrulous protocol droid managed to find other topics to chat about.

"And might I add, Mistress Rey," continued C-3PO, "that you seem very happy here. In fact, you appear to be much happier here than Master Luke was when I first met him, pardon my blunt observation."

"I am happy," Rey agreed, as she continued her work. "So are Luke and Leia."

Rey understood why Luke had wanted to leave Tatooine as a young man. It was not particularly inviting, exciting, or beautiful. It was harsh, dry, and barren. To Luke, however, it was familiar. Even to Rey, it bore similarities to her homeworld of Jakku. But their decision to come to Tatooine was influenced by more than familiarity. _We came here to get away from the commotion of the galaxy_ , Rey remembered _. We decided we all needed some space, some time away from it all. We decided we needed something simple. A long time ago, Luke may have sought out adventure, but he returned here with us seeking the opposite_. Rey knew they would likely not stay on Tatooine forever, but for now, it felt right. For now, it felt like home.

As Rey focused her attention back to R2-D2, she noticed something wedged in the data slot below the droid's head rotation ring.

Rey grabbed a pick and began digging into the slot, trying to carefully prise out the foreign object. "What have you got in here?"

R2-D2 beeped and wheeled backwards in retreat, leaving Rey puzzled by his sudden action. Then, a flickering hologram of two figures appeared, projected from the astromech droid. As Rey examined the figures, she realised they were Finn and Poe. She listened closely as the figures began to speak and her friends' voices rang out through the droid's loudspeaker.

_"Hey Rey! It's Poe."_

_"And Finn."_

_"We just thought we'd send a little message along with Artoo to give you an update."_

_"We've managed to stay out of trouble."_

_"Yeah, we haven't crashed and nothing has caught on fire."_

_"We did get lost once, and that was entirely Poe's fault."_

_"Uh, no it wasn't."_

_"It definitely was, but it's okay. I forgive you."_

_"Anyway, we just wanted to say hello."_

_"We miss you, and we hope everything is going well on Tatooine."_

_"We hope to see you again sometime soon."_

_"And Rey, may the force be with you."_

At the conclusion of the message, the hologram disappeared, leaving Rey sitting on the garage floor with her eyes fixed on an empty space between herself and the astromech droid.

"How thoughtful," remarked C-3PO, his merry mechanical voice breaking the silence. "Isn't it wonderful to have such kind-hearted companions?"

"Yes," said Rey, grinning from ear to ear. "Yes it is."


	7. Braiding

After a long day of working and training, Rey returned to her bedroom and untied her hair, releasing it from her usual buns. She grabbed her comb and pulled the pointed prongs through her hair in an attempt to detangle the knots and remove the sand blown into it by the desert winds.

"I had hair like that once, believe it or not."

She turned her head to find Leia standing in the doorway, her eyes focused in an almost nostalgic gaze, as if she were glimpsing into the past.

Rey glanced at the tangled hair cascading down her own shoulder. "Knotted and full of sand?"

Leia clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes. "I meant beautiful and long and brown," she said as she moved over to where Rey stood and gathered a section of her hair in her hands.

"I think your hair is beautiful now," Rey told her. It was true. Rey did not see anything less beautiful about Leia's thick grey hair, which was always seemed to be twisted and tied up creatively.

Leia laughed, as if she had not quite expected the compliment. "Well, thank you." She ran her fingers gently through Rey's hair for a moment, then asked, "Would you like me to braid it for you?"

The offer surprised Rey. Nobody had ever braided her hair before, not that she could remember anyway. Nevertheless, she accepted the offer with a smile. "Okay."

Leia sat on the edge of the bed and gestured for Rey to sit in front of her on the floor. She ran her fingers slowly through Rey's hair, then began gathering it up into smaller sections. As she started to braid, Rey felt a light tugging at her scalp. It was firm, but not enough to cause her any real pain. In fact, she found she quite enjoyed the sensation.

"My mother used to braid my hair for me when I was a young girl," Leia told her. "Sometimes one of our maids did it, but mostly my mother liked to do it herself. Then, she taught me how to do it myself." She grabbed another section of Rey's hair she had brushed to the side and continued. "As a princess, the braiding and styling was all for beauty and tradition. When that part of my life disappeared, it became more about memory. I could do my hair the way my mother had and it would feel like I was carrying a piece of her with me." Leia's voice trailed off, and Rey could tell that, although the memories were from long ago, the loss still ached deep inside of her.

Rey thought for a moment of her own parents. When they had left, Rey's hair had been tied up in three buns down the back of her head. She had left them that way for days. When the buns eventually came loose, she had fixed them right back to how they were. As she grew up, it became the routine way she would tie up her hair. It was practical, she would tell herself. It kept her hair out of her face while she was working. More importantly though, she had hoped it would help her parents recognise her when they came back to get her. She found that she still liked to tie up her hair that way. For some reason, it just felt right.

"I think that's why I've always tied up my hair in three buns," Rey said, a hint of sadness in her voice. "I think that's how my mother used to do it."

Leia did not say anything in response. Her fingers continued to dance skilfully and purposefully through Rey's hair, tugging and twisting and weaving. Rey closed her eyes for a moment, relaxing into the feeling of it.

"There," Leia said after some time. "All finished." She smoothed down the sides of Rey's hair with her hands. "What do you think?"

Rey reached her hand behind her head and ran her fingers over the style, feeling the pattern of securely interlacing strands. "I love it," she said. "Thank you."

oOo

"Leia, could you braid my hair again today? Please?" Rey asked as she cleared away the dishes from the table after breakfast and carried them over to the sink to be washed. "I thought maybe you could do it so my hair will stay out of my face and won't come undone while I'm training today."

The reasoning was only partially true. While she did have plans to train, she was never particularly bothered by her hair while training. She'd fought battles perfectly fine with her hair in her usual buns, and even with her hair let down. The truth was that she enjoyed having her hair braided by Leia. She enjoyed the feeling of tender hands through her hair. She enjoyed listening to Leia tell stories of the past. It was difficult for her to put into words exactly how the experience felt to her. Relaxing? Healing? Cathartic? Comforting?

Leia agreed to the task, so Rey hastily completed her morning chores and returned to her room, where Leia was already seated on the edge of the bed. Rey took a seat cross-legged on the floor and allowed Leia to begin.

"I'll have to teach you a few styles," Leia told her as she worked away on her hair. "I taught Kaydel a few styles in spare moments on back on base."

"I always liked the way Kaydel did her hair," said Rey, thinking of the young lieutenant.

"Well, I was the mastermind behind that operation," Leia quipped. She continued on with the story of how Kaydel Ko Connix had approached her specifically to enquire about her hairstyle one day, which had then led to a few impromptu hair lessons, during which Leia grew quite fond of the young lieutenant.

"Is that okay?" Leia asked once she was finished. She handed Rey small square mirror.

Rey raised the mirror up in front of her face and angled her head to the side so she could examine the result. Her hair was braided firmly down the back of her head, then looped into a tight bun at the base of her skull and secured with a band.

"It's perfect," she said, turning around to smile at Leia. "Thank you."

oOo

The following afternoon, Rey happily sat on the floor of her room with Leia sitting behind her on the bed, braiding her hair once again. She had rambled some weak reasoning about wanting her hair up and out of the way while she made dinner and completed her evening chores. To her delight, Leia had accepted and was now telling stories about some of the most outrageous hairstyles she had worn over the years, some done by her mother or her maids, and others that were her own doing.

Rey embraced it all: the stories, the laughter, the gentle yet firm tugging and twisting of her hair, the feelings of warmth and love, and the comforting presence Leia offered.

"I think sometimes I like braiding my hair because it is a way to focus my mind on something else," Leia said, changing the subject. "It's almost like a form of meditation for me, without the Force and all the floating. I can focus my mind on the task, rather than my worries."

_I wonder if she experiences the same sort of focus and relaxation by doing my hair_ , Rey thought to herself. _Does it help her keep her mind off of what she's suffered and what she's lost? Does it offer her the same moment of peace and loving comfort it does for me?_

"How's that?" Leia asked at last.

Rey felt the style with her hands. "It's great. Thank you, again." She smiled gratefully and stood up to leave, remembering she had dinner to prepare and chores to complete.

"Rey?"

Rey stopped and turned around. "Yes?"

"You know, you don't need a reason to ask me to braid your hair," Leia said softly. "I'm happy to do it."

Rey's face flushed bright red with embarrassment. "I just didn't want to bother you," she confessed. "Besides, I'm not a child. I shouldn't need someone to do my hair." _After all_ , she thought, _I didn't even need someone to do my hair when I was a child_.

"Even once I learned how to braid my own hair, my mother would still do it for me from time to time," Leia told her. She rose from the bed moved over to where Rey stood. "It was a way for us to spend time together, just the two of us. We could talk, laugh, or just sit in silence, enjoying each other's company."

Rey smiled sheepishly. That was exactly how she felt about it.

Leia took the younger woman's hands in hers. "So, next time you want me to braid your hair, just ask, okay?"

Rey nodded. "Okay."


	8. Making Lunch

"Remember, this exercise is all about precision and focus," said Luke in his usual mentoring manner.

Rey nodded and focused her attention on the slice of bread she was holding in place, using the Force. It hovered in mid air above the kitchen table where various other ingredients were laid out on plates: bantha steak, bantha cheese, and a small assortment of vegetables.

"Alright," said Luke, eyeing the food keenly. "Let's begin."

They started moving samples of the ingredients, carefully guiding them towards the floating piece of bread and stacking them neatly on top to assemble the sandwich.

"Luke, didn't your aunt and uncle ever teach you not to play with your food?" Leia remarked as she entered the kitchen and her eyes fell upon the gravity-defying food.

"We're not playing," Luke replied seriously, his gaze not shifting from the hovering sandwich. "We're training."

"And making lunch," Rey added, as she moved a piece of bread on top of the stack and lowered the completed sandwich onto an empty plate on the table.

"It's very serious Jedi business, I assure you," said Luke, raising up another piece of bread for the next sandwich. "Now, Rey, make sure you spread out the vegetables evenly. That's how you bring balance to the sandwich."

Leia shot Luke a disapproving glance, then rolled her eyes. "You know, making the sandwiches normally would be much more efficient."

"But it wouldn't be as fun," Rey said, grinning playfully. She moved another piece of bread and placed it on top of the levitating stack. "Would you like to do the last one with us?" she asked Leia as she lowered the second sandwich onto the plate.

Leia looked at them for a moment in contemplation. "Oh, why not! I can't let you two have all the fun, can I?" she replied decidedly, a hint of laughter in her voice. "So, what exactly is the lesson behind this exercise, Master Jedi?" she asked Luke mockingly, as she raised a new piece of bread into the air.

Luke grinned. "That, sometimes, the Force can be fun."


	9. Emotions

Rey could feel it all. The coarse, dusty sand beneath her. The light breeze that swept through the desert plains. The thumping and scattering footsteps of the numerous creatures that roamed in the early morning. The strong yet calmed emotions radiating from Leia, intertwining with her own. It surrounded her and settled within her, carried by a powerful, active energy that bound everything together, and also kept everything in motion, growing and changing, living and dying, giving and taking. Flowing.

She felt herself begin to rise, levitating slightly above the sandy ground. The strong wave of chaotic, peaceful energy continued to wash over her, submerging her deeper and deeper within it, but not consuming her, for she knew she was still in control of herself. She felt it bringing her emotions to the surface, reaching inside of her and gently drawing the feelings out of the concealed compartments of her heart and mind. She winced slightly at the discomfort of the intrusion, as a convoluted mixture of emotions began to bubble up within her. There were things she did not particularly want brought to the surface right now, things she would prefer to keep neatly stored away.

As she began to resist it, Rey felt an unexpected rush of intense feeling, heavy and sad. Immediately, it weighed her down, and although the feelings rushed away as quickly as they had hit her, she found herself caught off guard. Unbalanced, she descended back down to the ground. When she opened her eyes, Rey realised Leia had done the same. She sat on the sand across of Rey, shaking her head.

"I'm sorry, Rey," she said. "That was my fault. My mind is just... somewhere else today. I'll just leave you to meditate on your own."

"No, stay," Rey insisted, before Leia could rise to her feet. "I've had enough of meditating anyway."

So Leia stayed, and together they sat for a moment, watching as the twin suns continued to climb higher into the grey-blue early morning sky, spreading a warm glow to the world below. It usually calmed Rey to watch the sunrise or sunset, but all her mind could focus on was Leia, and the feelings she could sense from her.

"Are you okay?" Rey asked her at last, breaking the silence between them.

"I'll be alright," Leia answered, her gaze not diverting from the morning sky.

Rey did not particularly want to press the matter, but she could not ignore the fact that something was obviously troubling Leia. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked awkwardly.

This time, Leia turned to face her, and Rey could clearly see the sorrow in her brown eyes. "There's not much to talk about," she said with a sigh. "Some days are just harder than others, I suppose. For no particular reason. Sometimes, grief just decides it wants to hang around more closely, like a dark cloud over your head."

A sudden pang of guilt struck Rey in the chest. She bowed her head. "I'm sorry," she mumbled.

Leia looked at her, puzzled. "What for?"

"It's my fault Ben is gone," she said solemnly. After Exegol, part of Rey had been fearful that Leia would resent her for the sacrifice Ben had made. Much to her relief, Leia had not been resentful at all. She had mourned, of course, but she had been as glad to see Rey alive as if Rey were her own daughter. However, although it might have made sense for Ben to sacrifice himself after everything he had done, Rey still could not completely banish the feeling that her survival did not truly make up for the loss of Leia's son.

"Nonsense!" Leia said firmly. "Ben made his choice. Well, actually, Ben made a lot of choices. Some terrible choices. You forget that he is the reason Han is gone." She paused for a moment, then sighed. "But it brings me great comfort to know that Ben's final choices were ones he made with a good heart. I am glad he saved you, Rey. Never doubt that for a second. I miss him, of course I do, but it means so much to me that he died doing good rather than evil." A few tears began to roll down her cheeks, but she quickly brushed them away. "Now," she said, in a somewhat milder version of her authoritative princess-general-master tone that Rey knew signalled she meant business. "Don't think I didn't notice your feelings before, during meditation. I felt your mixed emotions about Ben's death, but I also felt something else." She looked Rey directly in the eyes, and spoke her next words gently. "There is a lot of fear in you."

Rey sighed heavily. "That's a bad thing, isn't it? Isn't fear the path to the dark side?"

Leia shook her head. "I don't believe that," she said surely. "And if that makes me a terrible Jedi, then so be it. Fear is a normal human emotion. Everyone feels fear. It's not bad. It just... is. You can't silence fear or wish it away. You have to learn to work with it."

"How?" Rey asked.

"Talking about it is a good place to start. I think fear only truly becomes dangerous when you're left alone with it," Leia explained. "If you're left alone with it, then there's a chance it may consume you. But if you have people by your side to help you, more often than not, things will be okay."

Rey smiled. Leia's masterly advice was usually on the less traditional side, but it always made sense. Her connection with and understanding of the Force, combined with her rejection of nonsensical rules and preference for common sense, and infused with her good heart and caring nature, resulted in balanced wisdom. As usual, Rey agreed with the wisdom and understood it. To her, it made perfect sense.

"I suppose it's kind of the same with grief," she said.

Leia nodded. "Yes, I suppose so." She paused, looking at Rey with a softened expression. "So what's on your mind?"

Rey hesitated for a moment, but decided she felt comfortable enough to share her fears with Leia. "Mediating brought up some things I'd rather not think about right now," she explained, her voice quivering slightly. "Even just using the Force and connecting with it day to day sometimes reminds me of it all. It reminds me of the dark things I'm capable of..." She glanced down at her hands, which she often feared lightning may shoot out of at any moment. "It reminds me of facing... _him,_ and it reminds me of... dying."

Leia's eyes widened with deep concern and sympathy. "Oh, Rey..."

"It all scares me," she continued shakily. Her throat tightened and tears welled up in her eyes. "You always tell me that it's all over, that he's gone, and that I'm not like him, and I believe all that, but some days it still comes back to haunt me."

"I see." Leia pressed her lips together in a thin line. "Then let that be our lesson for today," she declared decidedly. "In life, we will have good days and bad days. We cannot really control the emotions we feel. We can only decide what we will do with them." She reached over to Rey and took hold of her hands. "And talking about them will never be a wrong decision."


	10. Panic

Rey swung her golden-bladed lightsaber again and again in a swift, controlled movements. It clashed against Luke's green lightsaber repeatedly, hissing and sizzling, until at last she caught him off guard and he failed to block her attack. She pointed her weapon at him casually for a moment before extinguishing it.

"Well done," Luke commended her, "but now I want to see you fight harder and stronger. I want you to use your full strength, with the appropriate amount of restraint, of course. I don't feel like being singed or sliced today."

Rey inhaled deeply, trying to settle her nerves and banish the jittery feelings that had plagued her all morning, then exhaled. Normally, although the burning heat was not particularly pleasant, she enjoyed her training sessions with Luke. Today, however, something was wrong, though she hadn't deduced exactly what it was yet. A sense of impending doom and terror hung around; she could feel it creeping up on her from somewhere out of sight. It was crouched down, somewhere, watching her, waiting to pounce and attack when she least expected it.

"Are you ready?" Luke asked, igniting his lightsaber.

Rey ignited hers in response. "Ready," she said, trying her best to sound confident.

Their training battle commenced. At first, Rey had the upper hand, pushing forward with great strength, just as Luke had instructed her to, but her lead in the battle did not last long. Luke wielded his lightsaber skilfully, blocking her attacks and eventually began to drive her backwards. Rey stood her ground and fought back. However, she felt her grip on her lightsaber start to slip, and noticed that her hands were sweating profusely. She gripped the weapon more firmly in her hand and pressed on, swinging it with strength and careful skill. As she exerted herself, her heart began to race wildly and the ground seemed to tilt and shift under her feet. She stumbled for a moment, unbalanced, which allowed Luke to gain the upper hand once again.

"Come on!" he exclaimed. "Is that the best you can do?"

She continued to fight, but once she felt a strange tingling in her hands, the worry flooded Rey's mind tenfold. _Please, no lightning_ , she begged silently. _Not now_. This was what she feared: unleashing her full strength only to unlock the dark potential she wanted to keep buried. She glanced down at her hands, expecting to see crackling bolts of electricity, but there was nothing. _Then why do I feel like this?_ she thought, confused. _What's wrong with me?_ The uneasiness still clung to her. A storm had already begun brewing in her mind, and there was no way to stop it. Her chest tightened uncomfortably and a wave of panic hit her hard, distorting the world around her and sending everything spiralling out of control.

"Stop!" she cried out, breathing heavily, though it didn't feel like any air was actually making it to her lungs. She stood, paralysed, trying to catch her breath. No matter how hard Rey tried, her mind could not form a coherent thought. It was as if as someone had unplugged a switch in her brain and scrambled all the information inside of it. Jumbled thoughts thrashed around inside of her head like the waves of a wild ocean. She didn't feel like she had control over her body at all. Something had sucked the life out of her and replaced it with a trembling energy that now surged through her veins, and she was hyperaware of the fact that something was very, very wrong. It was similar to how she had felt on Exegol before she had...

"Rey, are you okay?"

She fell to her knees on the sand-covered ground. Images began to flash aggressively in front of her eyes.

Some were memories.

_(Her parents leaving to their deaths. Lightning erupting from her fingers and exploding a ship. The eerie darkness and reeking evil of Exegol. The grotesque and menacing figure of Palpatine looming over her. The feeling of her heart and brain suddenly giving out as she fell to the hard stone floor, dead. The crumpled figure of Ben lying dead before her, leaving her shocked, with a heart full of grief and guilt.)_

Others, she feared were her future.

_(Everyone else she loved leaving, or dying. Her, alone in the universe, slowly dying, crying out for help she knew would not come.)_

"Leia!" she heard Luke's voice call out in an urgent tone. She was vaguely aware of his presence beside her, though it sounded like his voice was coming from miles away. "It's Rey. Something's wrong."

The images continued to flash before her relentlessly, fired at her like shots from a blaster, set to destroy her. She screwed her eyes shut, but the images did not vanish. They were attacking her from the inside, thrusting her back into the past and forward into a dreaded future. An awful, choking feeling crept up Rey's throat, like hands were clasped around her neck and squeezing tight.

"Rey." The sound of Leia's voice pulled her out of her own mind for a second, rescuing her from the torment. "Tell me what's wrong," Leia said quietly and gently.

"I can't breathe," Rey choked in a panic, her mouth barely forming the words. "I'm going to die." Her whole body trembled convulsively. Waves of panic continued to ripple through her violently. She gasped desperately for air, feeling as if she were drowning, panicking and floundering about in the water, knowing death was imminent.

"You're not going to die," Leia assured her. "You're safe. There is no danger here. We're right here with you."

Somehow, either Leia's words or the sound of her voice brought Rey's mind back to her body. _I'm home_ , she told herself. _I'm home, and Luke and Leia are here with me. I'm safe._

"Concentrate on your breathing, Rey," said Leia. "Breathe in slowly."

Rey did as Leia said. A shaky breath entered her lungs.

"Now, let it out. Slowly."

Rey attempted to release the breath in a slow and controlled manner.

"That's it," said Leia. She placed a comforting hand on Rey's shoulder. "You're okay, Rey," she reassured her. "Just breathe. You're okay. You're safe."

oOo

Rey stared absentmindedly at the ceiling. Once her legs had stopped trembling enough for her to stand, Luke and Leia had helped her to her room. At their insistence, she had laid down to rest. Her sudden attack of panic had left her feeling drained and exhausted. The panicking had stopped, finally, but she still felt shaky and sick. She considered trying to sleep away the remaining anxiety, but she feared what she might see if she closed her eyes.

Footsteps approached the doorway, and Rey lowered her glance from the ceiling to see Luke entering the room.

"Can we talk?" he asked, still standing at the doorway.

Rey nodded. She pulled herself up into a sitting position and shifted to create a space for Luke to sit beside her. He sat silently for a moment, as if trying to find the right words to say.

"I'm sorry," he said at last. "I shouldn't have pushed you the way I did. I should've noticed you weren't in the right headspace for it."

Rey shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. I should've been honest with you about how I was feeling." She sighed. "The truth is there are a lot of things I'm afraid of at the moment, things that continue to haunt me no matter how hard I try to ignore them or meditate on them. Training today just brought some of those things to the surface, and I panicked. Everything in my mind just started spiralling out of control. I thought I was dying... again."

Luke nodded solemnly. "Why didn't you tell me?" 

Rey hesitated for a moment, but the deep concern in Luke's eyes moved her to speak. "Because I didn't want to disappoint you," she admitted at last. 

Luke sighed. "I don't expect you to be perfect, Rey," he told her sincerely. "You're gifted, that's for sure, but I understand that you have your own challenges to overcome just like everybody else. I'm not disappointed at all. In fact, quite the opposite. I'm proud of you. For everything you did with the Resistance, for everything you did on Exegol, for the way you apply yourself to your training, for refusing to let the truth about your ancestry define you. I'm proud of you for surviving everything life has thrown your way. I know you've never had it easy, and I'm proud of the way you've fought through it all with strength, courage, determination, intelligence, and a good heart."

Rey smiled. Tears filled her eyes in response to the heartfelt words, and the emotions left her speechless.

"Look, I understand if you don't want to tell me everything all the time," Luke said. "I don't expect you to, though I think I might understand what you're going through more than you realise."

Rey thought for a moment of the difficult situations Luke experienced as a young man: the brutal murders of his aunt and uncle, the shocking reveal of his villainous father, confronting the Emperor, and watching his father sacrifice himself. Rey wondered if Luke had ever dealt with similar feelings to hers after the whole ordeal.

"But if you're ever not feeling up to training," Luke continued, "I would like you to let me know. I don't want to add to your struggle. Okay?"

"Okay," Rey replied with a sincere smile. She reached her arms around Luke and pulled him into a hug. "Thank you."

Luke smiled. "Happy to help," he said. Once they broke apart from their embrace, he stood up to leave.

"Luke?" Rey called to him before he disappeared through the doorway.

He turned around. "Yes?"

"Do they ever go away?" she asked quietly. "The fears?"

"Sometimes," Luke said, a knowing look in his eyes. "But even if they don't, you get better at dealing with them."


	11. Moving On

Rey sat cross-legged on the sandy ground, a comfortable distance away from the domed entrance of the homestead, far enough that she would not be disturbed when Luke and Leia eventually woke. It was just before dawn. A deep blue darkness hung in the sky, growing lighter as the orange glow brewing at the horizon began to creep into view. Something about the early morning made Rey feel clear-headed and at peace. She found it to be a good time to focus and meditate. She glanced at the sky's transforming colours one more time before closing her eyes and reaching out to the Force. She felt its strong flowing presence, around her and within her. Connecting. Flowing. Moving.

Searching within herself, Rey was pleased with what she found.

Peace.

Knowledge.

Serenity.

Harmony.

It was the harmony that pleased her the most. For quite sometime, since Exegol, she had been at war with herself. She had decided wholeheartedly to relinquish her true lineage and instead embrace the family that loved her and the name that represented their legacy, the legacy she chose to be a part of. But her mind had continued to plague her relentlessly with fears, doubts, and terrifying memories.

So, she had fought back. In meditation, she focussed on her doubts and fears, listening to each of them speak in turn, understanding them. She became more deeply acquainted with the Force, and how it existed and moved within her.

 _I am tethered to the light_ , she repeated to herself, over and over until every inch of her believed it, _and I have family and friends to help hold me steady. I do not need to fear the darkness. I can balance the light and darkness within me._

She had also found much comfort in speaking freely and openly to Luke and Leia any of her troubling feelings, and to Finn and Poe whenever the three friends contacted each other for much-needed chat. Leia had been right when she said talking about fears and feelings was never a wrong decision. It often helped her to clear her head and gather new perspectives. With each conversation, a small but heavy burden was lifted from her shoulders. Suddenly, she felt lighter, and she could breathe.

Over time, it seemed, all that meditation and conversation sorted out the jumbled mess inside her mind. The thoughts that had once twisted through her mind like tangled chords were now unravelled. The thoughts had not disappeared; rather, they had moved, shifted away from the forefront of her mind. They no longer haunted her or threatened to overwhelm her. At last, it felt like the wounds from her past, from her childhood, from the war, from Exegol, had healed, leaving scars that would sometimes be tender, but no longer caused her any serious pain. It felt like her mind had finally come to fully accept what her heart had already decided months ago, that her lineage did not dictate who she was. It did not decide her destiny, her journey, her story. It was up to her to map out her own path for herself, with the Force to guide her.

Rey opened her eyes and squinted at the glowing suns rising into the morning sky. She felt a stirring in her heart, a feeling that made her smile and let out a long breath.

The feeling that she was moving forward.

oOo

Rey's eyes widened at the rather surprising news. "You're going to sell the farm?"

It wasn't completely unexpected, and the idea of leaving Tatooine did not trouble Rey. In fact, for her, the timing couldn't be more perfect. It made her wonder whether Luke and Leia had sensed the change within her, if they could feel her newfound peace, harmony, balance, and self-acceptance.

"We've been considering it for a while," Luke explained. He reached across the table for the jug of blue milk and poured a generous amount into his glass. "This was never supposed to be a permanent arrangement, as you know. We came here to get away from the commotion of the galaxy for a moment, to have some space and simplicity for a time, until we were all ready."

Leia nodded in agreement. "Luke and I have both decided that we are ready. I certainly believe I have spent more than enough time on this sand rock," she added with a laugh. "But we wanted to make sure you were ready, Rey."

She looked at Rey in anticipation of an answer, but not in a way that seemed pressuring or impatient. Rather, her eyes gleamed in a way that suggested she already knew the answer Rey would give.

"I am," Rey assured them with a smile.

Leia smiled. "Well, we're very happy to hear that."

"So, when we do leave Tatooine, where are we going?" Rey asked, feelings of excitement and nervous anticipation bubbling within her. Though she had visited many different planets during her time with the Resistance, she knew the galaxy held myriads of beautiful and unique worlds, and she wondered what other wondrous sights awaited her out there.

Luke and Leia glanced at each other in a strange and knowing way.

Rey shifted awkwardly in her seat.

"Leia and I have decided on a planet we think would make a great home for the both of us," Luke said, "and hopefully for you too."

"But we understand if you don't want to come with us," said Leia. "We know you miss Finn and Poe, so if you would rather go be with them, we understand. We want you to go wherever you think you'll be happiest."

"I do miss Finn and Poe," said Rey, "but I want to go with you. I can still see Finn and Poe whenever I want. We can visit each other, and go off on adventures together, just like we've talked about doing," she explained. "But I want a place I can come back to, a place I can call home." She felt the prick of tears beginning to form in her eyes, and casually blinked them away.

Leia reached over and placed her hand on top of Rey's. "And you will always have that here with us," she assured her.

Rey smiled, taking delight in the feeling of loving warmth that no longer felt foreign to her anymore, and yet she still grasped onto it and treasured it as if it could be taken from her at any moment.

But an answered question still hung in the air.

"So, where are we going?" Rey asked again, confused as to why she wasn't being given a straightforward answer to such a simple question.

Luke hesitated for a moment, then sighed. "Naboo," he said at last.

A sudden sinking feeling gripped Rey's stomach, as if she were making a rapid and lurching descent in a ship.

She had heard enough about it to know it was a beautiful place, with vast lakes, beaches, rolling plains, grassy hills, and magnificent greenery. She also knew that it had been the homeworld of Luke and Leia's birth mother. She had been a woman of great importance on Naboo, Leia had told her. A queen, and then a senator. The people of Naboo knew her as a caring and intelligent leader. But she was not the only famed leader to originate from the planet.

Naboo had also been the homeworld of Emperor Palpatine. Many were shocked by the idea that such a beautiful planet could have been the home of such horrific evil and darkness. The dark legacy left a stain on the planet, but the shame was not enough to force the people of Naboo into darkness and despair, or to overshadow the planet's marvellous beauty.

Months earlier, Rey likely would have rejected the idea of living on Naboo immediately. How could she live on Naboo, the homeworld of Palpatine, the ancestry she was trying so desperately to distance herself from? How could she escape her lineage by going the very place where it began?

But Rey did not feel that way. As her initial anxious reaction dissipated, Rey realised she was not plagued by such fears at all. No, she was happy, beaming with excitement, and filled with a burning curiosity and eagerness to visit this beautiful planet she had such close ties to. Though a small wave of apprehensive rippled in the back of her mind, she was determined not to let it hold her back.

 _I am tethered to the light_ , she reminded herself. _I have family and friends to help hold me steady. I do not need to fear the darkness. I can balance the light and darkness within me._

_My lineage does not dictate who I am. It does not decide my destiny, my journey, my story. It's up to me to map out my own path for myself, with the Force to guide me._

"As we said," Leia began, in a gentle tone, "we understand if you don't want to – "

"No," Rey interjected. She took a deep breath and released it calmly. "I want to. I want to come with you to Naboo." _I am not going to let my grandfather's legacy hold me back from a new chapter in my life, from the home I can have with my chosen family._ She looked at Luke and Leia, her family, and felt the strong reassurance that she was making the right decision. At last, with her mind and heart on the same page, she could say the words.

"I'm not afraid of him anymore."

oOo

Nothing could have prepared Rey for the breathtaking images that greeted her as she piloted the Falcon into Naboo's atmosphere. It was more beautiful than anything her imagination had ever conjured up. Everything seemed to shimmer, as if it were nothing more than an elaborate illusion, or a work of art coated with a shiny finish. She blinked, half-expecting the shimmering image to disappear, but it didn't. Her whole body tingled with excitement, and her heart stirred with countless other feelings she could not accurately put into words. She leaned forward in her seat and stared, awe-struck, at the picturesque landscape below, her eyes wide as her mind attempted to process the vast array of vibrant colours and unfamiliar sights. Cascading waterfalls rolled over lush green hills into rivers which weaved through the verdant land. Buildings of various soft colours stood elegantly amongst trees of all shapes and sizes. Numerous lakes lay scattered throughout a large valley, framed by lofty mountains.

This was it. This was Naboo. The planet where her true bloodline and her chosen family crossed paths. A planet that held history and significance for both the Palpatine and Skywalker families. A planet that, despite being the birthplace of a horrific darkness, was completely and utterly beautiful, beyond anything in Rey's wildest dreams. A planet that radiated peace and joy. A place she could now call home.

They had chosen a house in the lake country. Leia told Rey that it had once been a very isolated place with few inhabitants, but it had become slightly more populous in recent times, with people seeking a peaceful place to live, though it still retained its serenity.

The house was elegant, but not too lavish, though compared to most of Rey's previous living situations it felt almost like a palace. A garden of small green bushes and colourful flowers sat decoratively out in front of the house. When Rey entered the house, she was greeted by a comfortable living room, with soft couches situated in front of a fireplace. Around the corner, she found the kitchen, the dining room, a small room with a desk and empty bookshelf, and the bottom of a staircase, which led to the house's upper level.

Luke and Leia instructed Rey to pick out a bedroom, so she did, or rather she claimed the first bedroom she opened the door of. After spending most of her life living in the remnants of an AT-AT in the Jakku desert, she wasn't picky about living situations. She began placing her few belongings inside of the sleek wooden cupboard that stood tall against the wall across from the bed. Beside the cupboard stood an equally sophisticated chest of draws, with a shining oval mirror hanging above it. Rey ran her hand over the smooth wooden surface, before removing her lightsaber from her belt and placing it down gingerly on top of the chest.

A large window, framed by ivory-coloured curtains occupied much of the room's far wall. Rey brushed the curtains aside further, allowing more light and warmth to pour into the room. As she looked outside, Rey noticed the trees surrounding the house dancing in the breeze. Longing to feel the fresh air, she undid the latch on the window and opened it. A pleasant, gentle breeze immediately floated through the window, and Rey smiled at the feeling of the air brushing against her cheeks. As she sat down on her new bed and scanned the room once more, her heart swelled with overwhelming gratitude and joy.

oOo

Later that evening, Rey stood out on the balcony, watching the sunset over the lake. Shimmering rays of light and warm colour reflected spectacularly off of the lake's surface.

"Better than the sunsets on Tatooine?" asked Luke, joining her.

Rey shook her head. "Not better," she replied. "Just different." She paused, focusing on the beauty for a moment more. "This whole place is different. Before today, I don't think I ever could've imagined such a place. It almost doesn't seem real."

Luke nodded. "It certainly is something."

After some time, Leia quietly made her way out to join them. She stood beside Rey and put her arm around the younger woman lovingly. "So, what do you think?" she asked her.

Rey pulled her gaze away from the sunset, turning to look at both Luke and Leia, and smiled. "I think I made the right choice."


	12. Shopping

Rey was very familiar with the concept of purchasing and selling. On Jakku, trading her scavenged parts for food was her means of survival. The shops on Naboo, however, were something entirely different. No hefting her heavy satchel filled from a day's scavenging to stand in line at a run-down stall in the sweltering heat, among a sweaty and rather unsavoury crowd, all so she could face Unkar Plutt and receive whatever measly portion the filthy slimeball decided her work was worth. Here on Naboo, she walked with Leia down the sandstone street, among people with kind eyes and smiling faces. Here, every shop seemed to hold a whole new world inside, full of goods and treasures of all sorts: food, clothing, jewellery, sweet-smelling soaps and ointments. There was even a shop of miscellaneous trinkets of carved wood, shaped glass, and colourful stones. The shops were more beautiful, more elegant, than any market or shopping establishment she had seen while on Resistance missions. Just the sight of everything they held inside, stacked on shelves and hung on racks, left her feeling slightly dizzy. There was just so much. 

The shopping trip had been Leia's idea. _Operation 'Get Rey some clothes that aren't worn, torn, gritty, grimy, blood-stained, grease-stained, dirt-stained, or bearing any other sort of indeterminable stain'_ is what she had unofficially called their mission. Though fashion wasn't exactly a concern that ever crossed Rey's mind, she agreed that some of her clothing had seen better days. Plus, her wardrobe was quite limited, no more than essentials. Clothing she could work in, train in, fight in, and sleep in. The clothes she had purchased from the shops they had visited so far fell into similar categories. They were simple, comfortable, and practical. However, the next shop Leia guided her into seemed to house nothing of the sort. 

Bright colours streamed from every direction, fabrics of red, yellow, orange, green, blue, pink, purple, and some colours Rey could not even name. Every rack and shelf held pieces of vibrant clothing. Rey blinked rapidly as her vision tried to take in all the rich colours and intricate patterns laid out before her. She followed Leia in a daze, eyes skirting the elegant, flowing garments. She walked with one hand outstretched, allowing her fingers to brush against the soft fabrics. 

"See anything you like?"

Leia's voice pulled Rey back to reality. She shook her head. "I don't even know where to start."

Leia nodded. "I thought as much," she said, a hint of laughter in her voice. "Why don't I pick out a few things for you try? Then we'll go from there."

Rey nodded in agreement. She watched as Leia perused the racks and shelves of clothing, plucking out items and holding them up to examine them more closely, before either returning them to their original place or thrusting them into Rey's hands. Rey didn't understand exactly what Leia was looking for, how she knew what to hold on to and what to put back. So she stood by passively, accepting the clothes as they were piled into her arms, until Leia steered her in the direction of a small cubicle shielded by a thick draping curtain. 

Hidden away behind the curtain, Rey slipped into the first garment: a crimson and white floral-patterned dress with a tiered and gathered skirt that settled just below her knees at the front and trailed across the floor behind her. She stepped out from behind the curtain to where Leia sat waiting on a chair. At the sight of Rey, the older woman's eyes widened momentarily in awe, but quickly settled back into a neutral expression. 

"You don't like it," Leia said knowingly. 

Rey hadn't meant to show her discomfort on her face so plainly, but the weight of the skirt and its unevenness made her feel off-balance. And as beautiful as the dress was, its bold and lavish nature left her feeling awkward. It felt foreign, unnatural, like the garment didn't belong on her body.

"It's... a bit much," she admitted. "It's just not... me."

"Well, there's no point in wearing something you're not comfortable in, no matter how lovely it looks," Leia said matter-of-factly. "Go try something else."

The next dress Rey tried wasn't much better. It was bright orange, like an X-Wing pilot jumpsuit. The material was thick and hung heavy on her arms and shoulders. 

"What's the point of clothes you can barely move in?" she remarked in strong disapproval, shifting uncomfortably in the weighty garment. "I don't think I could outrun anything in this. Or fight."

"I suppose most people don't attend fancy dinners or social functions expecting to run or fight," said Leia. "Probably a wrong assumption, mind you. I'd be lying if I said I'd never attended a dinner where shots were fired."

With imaginings of Leia's thrilling and perilous past adventures on her mind, Rey retreated back into the dressing room. Much to her frustration, each garment she tried seemed to disagree with her in one way or another. Too heavy, too thick, too stiff, too frilly, too lavish, too constricting, uncomfortable, awkward, itch-inducing, or just... wrong. It wasn't that Rey was picky about what she wore. She had grown up wearing scrappy clothes of threadbare material after all. She just couldn't justify wasting credits on something uncomfortable, impractical, unnecessary. 

She slipped into the last outfit grudgingly, a brown long-sleeved top and flowing brown pants to match, both embroidered with an array of small colourful flowers. This time, however, something felt different. The clothing didn't itch, didn't cling to her uncomfortably. She could stretch and jump and move about freely. The pants even had generously-sized pockets, large enough for Rey to slip her whole hand, fingers outstretched, inside. 

She stepped out from behind the curtain, and something about the way Leia smiled at the sight of her made her heart swell. 

"It's comfortable, and flowers are lovely," Rey said, pacing slowly, allowing the soft, flowing material to brush against her legs. "What do you think?"

"I think it suits you very well," Leia said approvingly. "Here." She placed a small heap of blue and green material into Rey's hands. "I found one more for you to try." Rey eyed the fabric with uncertainty. "Just trust me," Leia insisted, and ushered her back towards the dressing cubicle. 

Rey knew had every reason to trust Leia when it came to clothing. After all, the former princess and senator seemed to be well-recognised for her fine style almost as much as her intelligence, integrity, bravery, wit, and strong will. But on top of all that, Leia knew her well, and as Rey donned the final garment Leia had chosen for her, she knew that was true. The jumpsuit was coloured with rippling river-like strips of blue and green, her favourite colour. It reminded Rey fondly of the surface of a planet covered in lakes and rivers and lush greenery. The material crossed and wrapped around her chest, trailing into flowing sleeves that rested at her elbows. Two pockets rested almost unnoticeably at her hips, above the jumpsuit's flowing, loose-fitted pant legs. The material felt soft and gentle against her skin. Rey eyed her reflection in the mirror and watched the fabric ripple as she moved, like small waves in a calm sea, and trees dancing in a light breeze. 

She stepped outside of the dressing room, giddy with delight. She watched as Leia's face lit up, eyes wide in awe and joy, though the older woman quickly reined in her excitement. "So," she asked in an almost neutral tone, unable to completely mask her elation, "what's the verdict?"

Rey twirled around slowly, letting the smooth fabric sway and dance around her, before turning back to face Leia, a bright smile beaming across her face. "I love it." 

A look of joy and relief washed over Leia's face and she clapped her hands together excitedly, as if patiently waiting through the lengthy process and listening to Rey's frustrated grumbles after each dissatisfying outfit had been worth it simply to see the gleeful smile on Rey's face, and to see her in clothes not intended for fighting or scavenging, clothes not so intrinsically tied to survival and necessity. Clothes for relaxing in, for celebrating in. Clothes for enjoying a peaceful life on a beautiful planet, rather than fighting for her life. 

"Now," said Leia, after they had purchased the clothes and stepped back out into the street, "I believe there is only one more stop we have to make."

Rey's face twisted into a soft grimace. "Leia, as much as I've enjoyed our shopping adventure, I don't think I really need anymore... things. I have more than enough. Truly."

Leia just smiled. "Oh, I think this last shop will be quite to your liking." Without saying another word, she set off down the sandstone street, leaving Rey to follow hurriedly. 

Leia stopped once they reached a small shop on the corner of the street. Rey peered through the shop window, curious to see what was inside. She couldn't believe her eyes. A vast array of small cakes and pastries sat displayed at the shop counter, each decorated uniquely. To Rey, their intricate designs made them look more like art than food. The possibility of food looking so beautiful, so artistic, had never crossed her mind. The food looked lovely, and delicious. As she stared through the window, eyes wide and mouth open in disbelief, a faint rumbling flared in her stomach. 

"We don't have to stop," Leia said, with mock seriousness, "if you'd rather we just go home." 

Rey turned to meet her amused glance, and smiled. "Well, I guess one last stop wouldn't hurt." 


	13. Insomnia

It was the middle of the night, time creeping closer and closer to the early hours of the morning, and Rey couldn't sleep. She wasn't plagued by nightmares, or haunted by troubling thoughts or memories. She simply couldn't sleep. In spite of all her weariness and exhaustion, her mind buzzed restlessly with an unexplainable wakefulness. It felt like a constant chatter inside her head, with no distinguishable words, and no actual sound. Just the sensation of activity, of electrical impulses firing in her brain, keeping her mind switched on, preventing it from powering down. No matter how hard Rey tried to relax, to give herself over to sleep, her mind remained active and alert. She even tried meditating, settling cross-legged in the centre of her bed, calling on the Force and reaching desperately for that sense of serenity, but frustration soon got the better of her. She groaned, throwing herself back on the bed, dreading the long night of sleepless hours ahead. 

Feeling the sudden need to move, to use the unwanted restless energy in her body, Rey swung her legs over the side of the bed and wandered down the hall. As she rounded the corner towards the living room, she immediately noticed a light illuminating the space, accompanied by the low, dull sound of indistinct voices and music. The two observations made no sense to her sleep-deprived mind at first, not until she entered the living room. The holovision was on, and Luke sat on the couch in front of it, watching intently. Deciding she had nothing better to do, Rey sat down quietly on the other side of the couch. They stayed that way for a while, quiet, mindlessly watching some bizarre holofilm Rey's tired brain could not make sense of. 

"Nightmares?" Luke asked her at last, breaking the silence.

She shook her head. "Just can't sleep." 

He nodded, and said nothing, his eyes still focused on the strange holofilm. Rey still couldn't quite figure out what they were watching. There were people dressed in Jedi-like robes, swinging obviously fake lightsabers, with melodramatic flair, at rather dangerous-looking opponents that outnumbered them at least tenfold. 

"What _is_ this?" 

" _Jedi Battle Beyond the Stars_ ," Luke answered. "A very old Jedi Action holo."

The more Rey watched, the more ridiculous the action seemed to get. Whoever made the film clearly had never witnessed a real lightsaber battle, much less been in one. 

She turned to Luke, who for some reason seemed to be enjoying the absurd action sequence. "Do you actually like this?" 

He smiled. "It's so unrealistic, it's almost funny." 

Rey rolled her eyes, not convinced.  
  
"Hey, at the very least, maybe it will be enough to bore us both to sleep. Holo-programs at this hour of night can be good for that," Luke said, sounding as though he were speaking from experience. Rey assumed he was. 

She yawned, adjusted herself into a more comfortable position on the couch, and continued mindlessly watching the holo. Her eyelids soon grew heavy and Rey could feel herself gradually sinking further into the couch. Taking the obvious hint from her exhausted body, she tucked her legs up beside her, lay down, and closed her eyes. The low hum of the holofilm's audio continued to filter into her ears, though she made no effort to actively listen to it. She relaxed, and the sounds grew distant until she could no longer hear them at all. 

When Rey opened her eyes, the living room was bathed in the warm glow of morning sunlight filtering through the curtains. She was still curled up on the couch, only there was a blanket draped over her that definitely wasn't there before. She sat up and stretched her cramped limbs. 

The clinking of glass and trickling of poured water turned her attention to the kitchen. She turned to see Luke approaching, two cups of tea in hand. He greeted her with a smile and handed her one of the cups, before taking a seat beside her. 

He was tired. Rey could feel it. And even if she couldn't, the dark circles under his eyes would have given it away. It was obvious he hadn't slept, or at least had slept far less than she had. Nevertheless, he still seemed relatively cheerful.

"Told you old Jedi Action holos were good for something," he said with a smile.

Rey took a sip of her tea and shook her head, trying to banish any weariness that still clung to her. 

"It's a shame you fell asleep so soon," Luke continued. "You missed a thrilling two hour holodocumentary on the Trade Federation."

"Really?" Rey remarked, returning his sarcasm. "Would love to have seen _that_."

Luke laughed lightly. "I'm sure there'll be something equally as thrilling to watch next time you can't sleep." He paused to take a sip of his tea. "You're sure there was nothing troubling you last night?" he asked in a quieter, more serious tone. 

Rey nodded. "I'm fine, really," she assured him. "There wasn't anything in particular on my mind. My brain just... wouldn't switch off, I guess." She took another sip of her tea. "Nothing a boring old holo couldn't fix."

"You'd tell me, wouldn't you?"

"Hmm?"

"If something was troubling you, you'd tell me, or Leia... right?"

There was a gravity to the way he spoke. Rey could feel the weight of it. A heaviness. A seriousness. A protective caution. She glanced up from her cup. Worry swam deep in Luke's eyes, and beyond that, something more. Fear. Guilt. Determination.

Fear of what could happen if troubles were bottled up and left to deal with alone. 

Guilt that maybe if Ben had felt able to talk to him, to divulge his problems, maybe he could have helped him. 

The determination to not fail her the same way. 

"Of course I would," Rey assured him.

A look of relief washed over Luke's face. He exhaled. "Good. That's good. I'm glad."

Rey smiled. "And if you ever need a late-night holo-watching buddy, _you_ tell _me._ Alright?"


	14. History and Legacy

Rey breathed out a contented sigh as she reclined on the soft grass in the back garden. A sweet and earthy floral scent lingered in the air, courtesy of the various plants and flowers growing prosperously in the garden beds, many of which Rey had proudly planted herself and tended to with care over the past few weeks. This time, however, she hadn't come to the yard to garden. She turned her attention to the datapad in her hands, and the words of the history datafile that filled the screen. 

Leia had suggested it would be a good idea for her to learn more about the planet that was now her home. So, while Leia sat at the small garden table reading over reports from the former Resistance and various documents related to the newly reforming Republic, Rey endeavoured to educate herself on some of Naboo's history. 

She read first of the Gungans, the indigenous species of Naboo, who flourished until the arrival of colonists with whom they fought wars over territory and resources, which concluded with the two groups remaining separate for quite some time even after all battle between them ceased. Rey marveled at the idea of the underwater city the Gungans retreated to and resided in. She could hardly imagine it. A whole city, a whole other world, hidden deep beneath the surface of the water. The thought of such a place both fascinated and terrified her. 

To Rey's dismay, the history datafile soon lost all intrigue as the words on the screen transitioned into a sea of lengthy details on Naboo's rulership and system of government. _Ah, yes, just how I want to spend this peaceful morning_ , she groaned internally. _Studying politics_. A dull ache began to spread across her forehead at the thought of it. 

To save herself from at least some of the painful boredom, Rey decided to simply scroll through the tedious, long-winded paragraphs, merely scanning her eyes over the words in hopes that anything actually worth reading would jump out at her. Just as she began to seriously consider powering down the datapad and calling it a day (it was almost lunch time, right?), a particular passage caught her eye. She paused, and read. 

_When Naboo was blockaded and invaded by the Trade Federation, the recently elected Queen of Naboo, 14-year-old Padmé Amidala, guided the planet through the invasion and sealed a new friendship with the Gungans._

Padmé Amidala. Now that was a name she knew.

Moving the datapad from in front of her face, Rey turned her head and squinted up at Leia, one hand raised in an attempt to shield her eyes from the midday sun. "Did Padmé Amidala really become Queen and guide Naboo through the invasion when she was only fourteen years old?" she asked. 

Leia lowered her datapad and nodded. "Naboo has a history of electing young monarchs," she explained. "And, yes, Padmé Amidala did whatever it took to protect her people, even standing up to the Trade Federation."

"Kind of like you standing up to the Empire, and the First Order," said Rey, grinning.

Leia smiled slightly. "I suppose so," she said. "I was always inspired by her story."

Rey sat up and pulled herself to her feet. Loose blades of grass clung to her skin and clothes, but she didn't bother brushing them off. "So, you knew about her?" she asked, as she moved over to the small table and sat down across from Leia. "When you were growing up, I mean." Leia had told her briefly of her and Luke's birth mother once before, that she had been a highly respected queen, and then senator, known for her compassion, intelligence, and determination. But Leia had said little about her connection to, and feelings towards, the woman she sadly never got the chance to know.

Leia placed her datapad down on the table. "Yes. She was a dear friend of my father, Bail Organa," she explained. "Both he and my mother made sure I knew about her and how she'd fought for her people, for all people, and most importantly, for peace, refusing to be silenced or hidden away, and never giving up hope." 

"Sounds a lot like someone else I know," said Rey fondly. To her, the similarities between Leia and her birth mother seemed truly undeniable. Rey had witnessed first-hand the way Leia fought for people, for peace, and the way she never allowed any adversary, not even her own fear, to cause her to give up hope. She was an unstoppable force, and Rey admired her for that. Rey admired her for a lot of reasons.

A hint of a smile broke out across Leia's face. "I suppose that was my parents' wish," she said. "That I would carry that same spark she had, that hope and fight, inside of me." She paused, her face solemn, yet soft, eyes filled with a sort of fondness that bordered on longing. "I always felt... connected to her, in a way. Even though I never knew her."

A dull ache gripped Rey's heart as she thought of the hazy memories she had of her own mother. She wished she had stories of her, and of her father. Some way to feel connected to them, to know them, to have more to hold on to than tearful embraces, whispered promises, and eyes filled with love, hope, and desperation. More than the image, forever scarred in her mind, of a ship disappearing into the clear Jakku sky. More than the knowledge of a sacrifice. More than the feeling, no, the certainty that they had loved her, the certainty that kept her planted on Jakku for so long, waiting and hoping. But the stories of her parents' lives were not recorded in history files, or carried in the fond memories of any dear friends. No, her own vague, foggy memories of her parents were quite likely the only traces of them left in the whole galaxy. 

And she didn't even remember their names. 

A tightness formed in Rey's throat. She swallowed painfully. "I wish I knew more about my parents," she said, quietly, as if she were confessing a secret, and she supposed she was, in a way. She didn't talk about her parents much, mostly because there wasn't much for her to say, but also because she found it hard to articulate the feelings she had for them. "My memories of them are so... distant. I worry... " She paused. "I worry that one day I'll forget them completely." 

Alone on Jakku, Rey had clung to the idea of her parents with all her might. The belief that they would come back for her had been the axis on which her whole world had rotated, day after day, mark after mark scratched into the wall. Much had changed for her since then. Finding the belonging and love she had always ached for changed that. But her parents still held a precious space in her heart and mind. At times Rey felt a strange and distant longing for these people she barely knew, but knew she loved. At the same time, however, she found she did not wish that the events of her life had unfolded any differently, as she dreaded the idea of letting go of the love and the family she had now. At last, everything felt right. Her arduous journey of self-discovery over the past couple of years had answered the looming questions she'd always had about herself, her identity, who she was, and where she belonged. But sometimes, when her mind wandered in quiet moments, she found herself wondering. Who were her parents, beyond her memories and knowledge of them? What were they like? What didn't she remember about them? Did her father tell her stories? Did her mother sing to her? Was she anything like them at all? If they saw her now, if they could speak to her one more time, what would they say? Would they be proud of her?

Leia's expression softened. She reached across the table and rested her hand gently on Rey's. "You won't forget them," she assured her. "Your memories of them will always be there, even if they're tucked away in the deepest depths of your mind. Their history might not be recorded in history datafiles, but it still lives on. Through _you_. Your knowledge of what they did, how they defied Palpatine, how they wanted more than anything to protect you from him because they loved you and believed in your light so much that they were willing to pay with their lives to keep you safe. Their history lives in the fact that you're still alive, that you're safe, that you defied Palpatine as your parents did and that you grew into the woman you are today. That's the legacy, I believe, they wanted to leave behind. And I can't imagine they would be anything but proud of you."

Tears stung Rey's eyes and began to trickle down her cheeks. She and Leia reached for each other across the small table, pulling each other into an embrace. Rey cried quietly into her shoulder, feeling reassured and loved, and also understood. 

Leia understood what it was to carry inside of her two legacies, two histories, from two different families – her biological parents, and the parents that had taken her in, loved her, and raised her as their own. She seemed to reflect both simultaneously – the courage, hope, and empathy of Padmé Amidala; the strong Force sensitivity of Anakin Skywalker; the skilful diplomacy of Bail Organa; and the grace and intelligence of Breha Organa. As Rey thought of her own parents, and of Leia and Luke, she could only hope she was doing the same. 

"Now," Leia said, once they pulled apart from each other, "why don't we go inside and have lunch? These reports and documents can wait. It's not as if they're going anywhere, unfortunately." 

Rey wiped her watery eyes with the back of her hand, and nodded. 

As the two of them rose from their seats and began wandering towards the house, Rey felt there was something else she needed to say. 

"Leia?"

Leia turned around. "Yes?"

"I, um... about my parents," Rey stammered, searching for the right words. "I love them, obviously. And sometimes I do wonder about what they were like and what my life would have been like with them." She paused. "But that doesn't mean that I'm not happy here, with you, or that I'm not grateful, or that I wish things were different, because I don't. Not at all. I just... I don't... it's different, but..." Her words were spilling out more clumsily than she had intended. "It doesn't mean that I don't love you. Or that I love you less," she said. "I need you to know that."

Leia smiled, eyes filled with fondness and understanding. She reached out and took Rey's hand in hers. "I know." 


	15. Swimming

Rey sat cross-legged on the soft grass by the lake, the mid-afternoon sun warming her skin pleasantly as she closed her eyes and reached out to the Force. She could feel its flowing presence emanating from her surroundings. It nestled in every blade of grass, and stirred gently in the nearby trees and flowers. 

And the lake. 

It hummed from the lake in a way that was calming and quiet, yet strong and pulsing. Each drop of water sung with life and energy, and Rey was aware of them all. 

Since leaving Jakku, she had often eyed large bodies of water, like the oceans on Ahch-To and Kef Bir, with a bit of distrust. The ways of water had been completely foreign to her, and she had been quite unsure of her ability to hold her own in the midst of its magnificence, and unpredictable nature. This lake, however, felt different. It didn't surge and swell with great power and strength the way the oceans did. It rippled, gently, peacefully. It called to her softly, a quiet, wordless invitation.

Rey opened her eyes. 

The afternoon sunlight shimmered on the surface of the placid, glassy water. She gazed in awe at its beauty for a moment, imagining the feeling of the cool, refreshing water against her skin. 

_No_ , she told herself sternly. _I'm supposed to be meditating. No distractions._

She closed her eyes again. 

_Right. Now, where was I?_

She opened herself up to the Force again, that vivacious energy of life that resided within her, within everything around her, and in every space between. It was a sharing, energy passing in and out, wells within herself emptying and being instantly refilled as light and life was poured back into her like water. 

_Water._

It was difficult to ignore the soft murmurings of the lake. The ripples of the water. Invisible vapour rising from the sun's heat. A group of small fish swimming beneath the surface. 

Rey shifted restlessly in her seated position, her mind slipping once again. 

She peered at the lake through one half-opened eye. 

_Maybe it's the will of the Force_ , she reasoned, knowing full well that probably wasn't true, but, hey, why risk it? The Force was not to be ignored. So, if there was even the slightest chance the Force was urging her to swim, Rey was most definitely going to listen and follow that direction. Purely because of _the Force_ , of course. Certainly not just because _she_ wanted to swim.

Excitement fluttered in Rey's stomach as she kicked off her boots and wandered towards the water's edge. Seeing water in such abundance still filled her with a sort of elation and disbelief only someone who grew up in a desert would understand. Gingerly, she dipped her toes into the water, then slowly began wading in further and further, the cool water embracing her body bit by bit until it reached her chest. It tugged at her clothes slightly, though they were fitted and lightweight enough for her to swim comfortably and avoid the hassle of venturing back to the house to change. She reached out her arms and pulled herself through the water a little further. 

Before coming to Naboo, her only swimming experience had consisted of instinctively trying not to drown after falling head-first into that murky cave on Ahch-To, and a few spontaneous swimming lessons, courtesy of Finn and Poe, in a small river on Ajan Kloss. She had swum in the lake a few times since arriving on Naboo, and although she was still far from a brilliant swimmer, she knew the basics. How to float, hold her breath, move through the water. Still, she was careful never to stray out of her depth, preferring to remain where her feet could still brush against the rocks, sand, and aquatic plants that lay at the bottom of the lake. 

Rey paddled and kicked, propelling herself forward in a leisurely manner. She relished in the soothing, refreshing sensation of the cool water against her skin, the way it flowed over her and wrapped itself gently around her limbs. And she enjoyed the feeling of using her body and strength to push and pull herself through the water.

A dull, muffled roar filled her ears as she ducked beneath the surface of the water. Rey peered with curiosity at her blurred surroundings. Tiny bubbles fizzed around her head. Streaks of sunlight filtered through the surface of the lake to form a rippling pattern on the sandy floor. Long strands of green plants swayed with the motion of the water. A group of small fish darted around her, their scales reflecting the light with shimmering iridescence. So much beauty, so much life, hidden beneath the water's surface. And the Force thrummed through it all. Light, flowing, and weightless. In constant motion, like the ripples of the water, like the rise of fall of the bubbles. For a brief moment, she lived amongst it, closely, intimately, and it embraced her. Rey stayed under for only a few seconds, but it felt like longer. A strange and beautiful serenity poured into her, and when she surfaced, inhaling a gulp of air to fill her aching lungs, the feeling seemed to stay, nestled somewhere inside of her, like a treasured gift. 

Maybe it really was the will of the Force after all.   
  
Rey continued swimming; splashing playfully, soaking in the coolness of the water, kicking and paddling with no real direction or purpose other than pure and simple joy. When her limbs eventually grew tired, she floated on her back, gazing up at the sky, feeling weightless and calm as the moving water rocked her gently back and forth. 

Time escaped her. It wasn't until the sun began to sink in the sky, and Rey hauled herself back to the grassy patch by the lake, fingers wrinkled, limbs heavy, wet tangled hair clinging to the back of her neck, that she realised just how long she had been swimming. She sat for moment, knees hugged to her chest, allowing the evening air to begin drying her damp skin, hair, and clothes. She watched in awe as the setting sun painted warm colours across the sky, splashing hues of purple, pink, orange, and red across the lake's surface. A cool evening breeze swept through the vast space, causing the hairs on her arms and legs to stand up. She shivered. 

_Time to go inside_ , she decided. Tearing herself away from the natural masterpiece, she tugged on her boots and trekked back towards the house. 

As she neared the house, Rey noticed a figure standing in the front garden. It was Luke, hands clasped behind his back, and eyes lifted towards the evening sunset in a quiet gaze of admiration. Upon hearing Rey approach, his eyes lowered, and he greeted her with a slight smile. 

It was only then that Rey remembered what she was supposed to have been doing at the lake.

"How was meditation?" Luke asked. It was as if he had read her mind.

"Refreshing," Rey replied, without missing a beat. It wasn't a lie. Not really. She made to walk past him, but he spoke again. 

"And what do you feel you gained from your meditation?"

_A great swim on a beautiful afternoon_. 

"Well, I..." Her mind grappled for words, and she suddenly became very aware of her still somewhat damp hair and clothes. "I would say I gained an overall sense of peace," she said with confidence. "Inner peace, serenity, harmony. You know, all those good things. Very relaxing."

_And tiring_ , she thought. _I could use a good nap after all that swimming._

Luke studied her for a moment, his eyes narrowed and expression reserved. Then, he nodded. "Good," he said, "that's good", then returned his attention back to the sunset. 

Taking that as her cue to leave, Rey, smiling both with satisfaction and from the extant joy still buzzing inside of her from her blissful afternoon, headed for the house. 

She was almost at the front door when –

"Rey?"

She spun around. 

"Yes?"

Luke stood facing her with a withering look that seemed to say _I may be old, Rey Skywalker, but I'm not a fool._ He brought his hands around in front of him to reveal something she hadn't noticed he was holding.

A towel. 

He tossed it to her, a glint of amused satisfaction in his eyes. 

"Dry off before you go inside."


	16. Your Story

"Now, can I trust the two of you not to cause a scene?" Leia asked as she, Luke, and Rey filtered through the entrance of the Theed Royal Palace, amongst a stream of other well-dressed people. 

"I thought causing a scene was our family's speciality?" Luke teased dryly. 

Leia glared at her brother, one eyebrow raised, then sighed and rolled her eyes. "Well, how about we try not to live up to that legacy, for once," she said. "Let's just have a nice evening."

Rey smiled, the banter between the two siblings putting her at ease for a moment. Upon being invited (by the queen, no less) to this function at the palace, a celebration of peace and unity, Leia had strongly encouraged Luke and Rey to accompany her. It was a chance to celebrate, to reflect on the peace hard-won, to see faces new and old and connect with people from across the galaxy. Admittedly, Rey hadn't been entirely keen on the idea. It wasn't that she had anything against a good celebration. Not at all. But she couldn't help but feel slightly out of place and overwhelmed by the greatness and grandeur of it all. 

As she stepped into the room where the main festivities were taking place, Rey's eyes widened. The walls and floor were adorned with polished marble of warm hues that glistened under the room's bright lights. Light orchestral music filled the space, accompanied by joyful chatter that emanated from a sea of finely-dressed people. So many people, from many different places and, judging by their presence at the event, Rey could only assume they were people of importance. 

She turned her eyes away from the large crowd for a moment to glance at Luke, thinking perhaps he might share, or at least understand, her apprehension. 

But he was gone. 

Rey could've sworn he'd been standing right beside her mere seconds ago. Surely he couldn't have ventured far. She scanned her surroundings, hoping to catch a glimpse of him among the crowd, but he didn't seem to be anywhere in sight. 

Once again, Luke Skywalker had vanished. 

Seemingly unphased by her brother's disappearance, as if she completely expected it, Leia began venturing into the crowd, gesturing for Rey to follow.

Rey flocked to her side and began following closely as Leia navigated through the crowd. "Where are we going?" she asked. 

"The food tables," Leia replied, pointing to the other side of the room. "If we start now, we might make it over there before the end of the evening."

Rey frowned, confused. "What do you mean we _might_ –"

"Leia!" Their path was suddenly intercepted by a middle-aged woman. "It's been such a long time," the woman said, smiling wide. She wore an elegant, flowing black dress, and her tightly coiled silver hair billowed around her head like a cloud.   
  
Leia smiled kindly and nodded. "Yes, it certainly has," she said. "Kandri, this is Rey."

The woman flashed her a friendly smile. "It's lovely to meet you, Rey," she said, then turned her attention back to Leia. "I had no idea you had a daughter."

Rey felt her face grow warm with embarrassment. She shook her head fervently. "Oh, I'm not –"

"She's been a blessing," Leia interjected, placing a hand on Rey's shoulder. "That's for sure."

A joyous warmth swelled deep inside Rey's chest, powerful and tender. She opened her mouth the speak again, but did not know what to say. The idea that Leia thought of her as a daughter warmed her heart more than Leia would ever know, but she didn't understand why she hadn't corrected the woman. Thankfully, the idle chatter didn't hold out for long, and soon the two of them were back to weaving their way through the crowd. 

"Leia, why didn't you –"

But before she could finish the question, Leia stopped her. "If there's one thing I've learned from my time as a princess, and a senator, it's that people can have all kinds of ideas about your life," she explained. "Some good, some bad. Some right, some wrong. Some harmless, some malicious. Now, you can waste your breath setting the record straight on every minor detail, or you can continue going about your life. Sometimes, it's better to focus on your own view of yourself, your own truth, than becoming preoccupied with amending everyone else's view of you."

Rey nodded. It made sense, she supposed. Still, the thought of misleading stories about her floating around, completely out of her control, set her slightly on edge. 

As they continued across the room, Rey quickly realised what Leia had meant by "we might make it over there before the end of the evening". It seemed that half of the people in attendance knew Leia, and those who didn't at least knew _of_ her and felt obliged to introduce themselves, or to thank her for her work with the Resistance. 

Some of those people had apparently heard of Rey too, much to Rey's surprise. She wasn't entirely sure how she felt about that. 

"Yes, of course. One of your Resistance heroes," said a Twi'lek with pale green skin, after Rey had introduced herself. "I've heard quite a lot about you. The galaxy is forever indebted to you and your fellow fighters."

And plenty were familiar with her family name. 

"Skywalker?" said one old man, his eyes wide, after she had introduced herself using her full name. "Well that certainly is a... notable family name. One of great power, if the stories are to true. Yes, quite a legacy indeed."

As she battled the awkwardness of each interaction, the unsettling discomfort inside of Rey grew until she could no longer bear it. She suddenly felt like there were hundreds of eyes staring at her. But what did they see when they looked at her? They seemed to think they knew her, but they didn't. Not really. How could they? 

The uncomfortable tension that had gripped her body since the moment she'd stepped into the room tightened, threatening to suffocate her.

Excusing herself from yet another conversation Leia had been sucked into, Rey hurried through the sea of smiling faces and intrigued glances until she reached the other side of the room, where a row of tables covered in a wide selection of food lined the wall, and people grazed around them, small plates and drinks in hand. 

A dead end. Her throat tightened. Somehow, the room felt simultaneously too big and too small. It was all too much. Too many people. Too many conversations she didn't know how to navigate. _Hero. Legacy. Daughter. Skywalker_. All Rey needed now was for someone to somehow deduce her blood lineage for the evening to go from overwhelming to a full-blown nightmare. She could already imagine it, people recoiling in horror at the granddaughter of a monster standing in their midst. She shuddered. 

She needed a break. She needed space. Space to breathe and think and –

_Rey._

A faint call brushed against her mind, sounding more like a vague beckoning than a spoken word, though she recognised the voice immediately. Through the Force, she sensed guidance, a gentle ushering. She surrendered, and followed, as it drew her to an open doorway. Without hesitation, she wandered through it, leaving the celebration behind. 

Rey emerged into a dim hallway. She ventured down it, following the source of the call in her mind. The sounds of the celebration grew dull and soft the further she wandered, and Rey felt the tension in her body slowly release. 

She rounded a corner into another dimly lit hall, where at last she met Luke, lingering alone. "I take it fancy parties aren't your thing either," he said as she approached, then continued to pace slowly, gazing at the walls, seeming to admire the various artwork that adorned them. "I always find I need a quiet moment away at large gatherings too. Even more so now, it seems. I suppose living reclusively on an island for a while does that to a person." He sighed, his lips curling into a smile. "I don't understand how my sister does it. Leia has this natural ability to navigate a crowd and connect with all sorts of people. Some say it's her royal upbringing. I think it's just the way she is."

He turned to continue down the hall, and Rey fell into step beside him. In the quiet, with no sounds except the echoing of their footsteps against the marble floor, she became aware of feelings, memories of the past, lingering in the space. Fear. Peace. Joy. Love. Grief. 

"It's strange to think that my mother once walked these halls," said Luke, a softness in his voice. He glanced around, his eyes deep with pondering. "I never knew her, yet here I am in a place that was once her home." Rey felt the emotion roll off him in waves, a sort of nostalgia for memories that were not his own, a reverence and love for the mother he would never know, a sentimentality for what could have been. 

Then, she felt something else. A sickening pang of dread twisted in her stomach. "Palpatine walked these halls too," she uttered, her breath catching in her throat. 

Luke nodded solemnly. "Yes, he did. But many Jedi visited the palace too. Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Even my father." He paused before a wide window that overlooked the Palace Plaza. "This palace has been the grounds of many significant events. Invasions, battles, celebrations of peace. A fight for good in the midst of a hidden evil. Events set in motion with affects that would trickle down for years to come. All that history. All those events, influencing the trajectory of our lives before we were even born." 

"Like we're part of one big story," said Rey quietly.

Luke shrugged. "In a way." 

Rey let the conversation drop, allowing silence to fall between them. She fixed her gaze on the velvet starry night sky overlooking the quiet, empty plaza.

"What is it?" Luke inquired at last, eyeing her knowingly.

She sighed. "I feel like everyone I've met this evening has tried to place me in some sort of big story," she explained. "They have all these different ideas about who I am and how I fit in to all this. A Resistance hero, another legendary Skywalker. One woman assumed I was Leia's daughter." 

"There's truth in all of those," said Luke, "from a certain point of view."

"I know that," Rey said, "but..." She paused, gnawing at her lip as she grappled for the right words. "They all see me as someone important, but they don't know me, not really. It feels... strange. Uncomfortable." She shook her head and cast her eyes to the floor. "I don't really know how to explain it." 

Luke nodded, stroking his beard. "Do you remember what I told you when you came to me on Ahch-To?" 

Rey raised an eyebrow. "To go away?" 

Luke shot her an unamused glance.

"What? You did! More than once, actually."

"I know. I'm sorry," he said, then sighed heavily. "I told you that people saw me as Luke Skywalker, Jedi Master. A legend. After the fall of the Empire, I found it unsettling how eager people were to make a legend of me. Really, I hadn’t done anything except try to reach out to my father, and reject the Emperor's call to the dark side. It was actually my father that defeated the Emperor. _He_ saved _me_. The story was told in many different ways by many different people, but no rendition ever seemed completely true, not in the way I knew it to be. At times it was a lot to bear, the weight of this legend I was supposed to live up to. Eventually, I think, I even started to hold myself to that standard. And when I couldn't live up to it, when I _failed_..." A pained, broken expression clouded Luke's face. He stared blankly for a moment, then closed his eyes and shook his head. "My point is, we don't have to fit neatly into the narrative other people have created for us," he said resolutely, turning his head to face her. "Our stories are our own. People will talk. Sometimes they'll be right, sometimes they'll be wrong. Most times, they'll only see part of the whole picture, and that's okay. You don't have to explain yourself to everyone you meet. All that matters is that you know who you are." 

Rey smiled. Luke's words were remarkably similar to the advice Leia have given her earlier. Rey understood the lesson: what other people thought of her wasn't her responsibility, wasn't her burden to bear. She needed to let it go. She knew who she was, with unwavering certainty, and she wasn't going to let anything get in the way of the peace she had finally secured within herself. 

"You know, you and Leia both really have a way with advice," she told him. "It's nice, having people who understand."

"Ah, yes, the wisdom that comes with reaching hero status in early adulthood," Luke said wryly. He moved to rest his hand on her shoulder, then, in a sincere tone, added, "No doubt you will be passing on your stories and wisdom someday too."

Rey had no doubt that she would. But for now, she was happy to be on the receiving end of wisdom and guidance, learning and growing, as she continued to find her footing in this new chapter of her life and figure out what was next for her.


End file.
